Sisyphus – ‘Sisyphus’

Sisyphus - 'Sisyphus'

Score

Sufjan Stevens, Son Lux and Serengeti combine on stuttering electro-rap and ethereal pop

On ‘Sisyphus’ Sufjan Stevens, New York post-rock musician Son Lux and Chicago rapper Serengeti set out to discover if their varying sounds could possibly interbreed. They produce pretty mutations; their first collaborative record throws up a mix of stuttering electro-rap and ethereal pop. Opener ‘Calm It Down’ bounces with the leftfield cool of LCD Soundsystem while ‘Booty Call’ puts Serengeti centre stage, adroitly merging the worlds of casual sex and gaming in the line “let me be your Call Of Duty”. On the flip side, ‘Take Me’ sets free angelic sighs, exhaling over minimal beats and poised synth rushes and ‘I Won’t Be Afraid’ is stripped back, glittering orchestral-pop. There’s no denying the latter’s beauty but Sisyphus are at their best when they’re having fun.